Thermal runaway is a phenomenon in which a fire or high heat event in a lithium ion battery cell propagates to adjacent lithium ion batteries, resulting in a chain reaction that can risk the safety of the user and/or destruction of property. The thermal runaway event can be caused by, for example, overcharging a cell, mechanical damage to the cell or exposure of the cell to high temperatures. To meet power and energy density targets for electric vehicle applications, lithium ion cells must be packaged in a way that minimizes unused space. Unfortunately, this tight spacing increases heat transfer between cells and can therefore exacerbate thermal runaway risk in the event that one cell within the pack becomes compromised.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved mechanisms to minimize the effects of thermal runaway in a form-factor that is compatible to high energy density battery modules.